Foods that help our brain study

The food you put into your body can have a huge impact on how your brain works. This is important to remember around exam time, when you're probably paying more attention to books than breaky. Learn how the food you eat affects your body so you can choose foods that fuel your brain and smash your study schedule.

What's food got to do with it?

Your brain is the most complex part of your body. Like a computer, it runs millions of processes every day. It never stops working, so it needs constant topping up with the fuel it operates on—glucose, which is a type of sugar. Your body obtains glucose from your food, and it’s delivered to the brain through the bloodstream. The problem is, your brain can’t store glucose, so you need to top up your levels every day.

If your brain isn't properly fuelled, you're likely to feel sad and irritable. You might also have trouble sleeping, poor memory, and difficulty problem-solving. That's not how you want to feel when you turn up for an exam.

Try these simple swaps

The best way to feed your brain is to eat a wide range of foods from all food groups. However, when you’re hitting the books, it can be a little tricky to put it into practice. So, we’ve come up with some easy meal-swaps that will get your brain humming in no time.

Swap this...

For this...

Processed cereal

Porridge topped with fruit and walnuts

Biscuits or a muffin

Wholegrain crackers with cheese and tomato

Frozen pizza

Homemade wholewheat pizza

Burger and fries

Steak and salad

Chocolate or lollies

Fresh or dried fruit

Ice-cream

Yoghurt and berries

Potato crisps

Handful of nuts

Energy drink

Fruit smoothie

Coffee

Green or herbal tea

Eating well-rounded meals most of the time will help you study better, and lead to better results.